Grilles, screens and the like



Oct. 17, 1961 E. c. HALLocK 3,004,642

GRILLES, SCREENS AND THE L IKE Filed Aug. 8, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1IIIIIII IWIIII IIIIIIII IIIIIII IIIIII IIIIIII IIIINI IIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IMIIII WIWI IIIIIIII IIIIIIII IWIIIII IIIINI IIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIINI INIIII IIIINI INIIII IWIIIII IWIII INIIIII IIIIIMI IIIIIIIIIIIINI IWIIII IIIIIII IIIIWI IIIIIIII IIIIWI 9\ IMIIII IIIIIIII IWIIIIIWIWI INIIIII INIIII IIIIINI IIIIIIIII IIIIINI IIIINI IIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIII IIIIIIIII IIIIIIII i g IMIII IIIIIIIII IMIMI IIIMIIIIIIII IIIIIII IIIIINI IMIIII IWIIII ININI FIGI IIIIIINI IIIIIIIIIINIIIII F'IGZ.

INVENTOR EDWARD CHALLOCK HIS ATTORN EYS Oct. 17, 1961 Filed Aug. 8, 1960E. c. HALLoK 3,004,642

GRILLES, SCREENS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gl' l@ s WM L INVENTOREDWARD C. HALLOCK BY mwfwwfw H IS ATTORN EYS Oct. 17, 1961 E. c. HALLocK3,004,642

GRILLES, SCREENS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTOR EDWARD C. HALLOCK H IS ATTORNEYS 3,004,642 Patented Oct. 17,1961 GRILLES, SCREENS AND THE LIKE Edward C. Hallock, 86 Woodland Ave.,Summit, NJ. Filed Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,321 7 Claims. (Cl. 189-82)This vinvention relates to improvements in structural elements forshading portions of building structures and providing ornamental effectsthereon and therein, and it relates particularlyto an improved form oflight-weight grille for protecting, shading and imparting pleasingappearances to cooling towers for air-conditioning systems, to windows,Ventilating, exhaust and other openings in building structures, and foruse as room dividers or for other ornamental purposes on or in buildingsof all types.

Many new buildings'as well as older buildings, are now being providedwith cooling towers by means of which Water for air-conditioning systemscan be cooled. Other buildings have large Ventilating and air exhaustopenings in their walls. Such constructions usually are provided withgrilles or louvers which shade and protect them to maintain efficientoperation and overcome their inherent, rather unattractive appearance.

In accordance with the present invention, I have pro vided grilles whichmay be easily fabricated from relatively simple parts and in such a waythat many different ornamental effects may be produced thereby, while atthe same time providing effective shading and screening of thestructures on or in which they are mounted.

More particularly, in accordance with the present inventiou, my newgrilles are madeup of a series of thin strips of metal, plastic, or thelike, which are joined and supported in spaced relation by means ofnovel, readily attached clips which strengthen and reinforce thestructure to render it self-sustaining and highly resistant todeformation by wind force or other stresses. The strips may be of almostany desired length and width and they may be assembled to producegrilles of almost any desired length and height. j

The new clips are provided with pairs of springy or resilient armshaving opposed grooves in their outer ends to receive and retain edgeportions of two strips thereby to connect the two strips in face toface, spaced apart relation. Inasmuch as the arms are resilient, theclips can be pressed against the strips to spread the arms to pass overthe edges of the strips and then snap into gripping relation to theedges of the strips. By varying the shape and arrangement of the arms onthe clips, the strips may be disposed parallel and in generallyperpendicular relation to the overall plane of the grille or they may bearranged in an echelonted, inclined or sawtooth relation to the plane ofthe grille, thereby enabling different ornamental or visual effects tobe obtained with the same strips and clips.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a grille embodying the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the grille;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a typical clip for use in the assemblyof the grille; and

FIGURE 5 is an end elevational view of the clip shown in FIGURE 4.

The grille illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 of the drawing is formed of a seriesof corrugated metal strips 10, 11, 12, 13, etc. which are joinedtogether by means of the clips 14, 14a, al1 of which are substantiallyidentical in shape and size. The strips 10, 11, 12, 13, likewise, in theform of the invention shown, are substantially identical. 'The UnitedStates Patent Oiice strip 10, for example, is bent into corrugated shapehaving offset parallel portions 10a, 10b joined by inclined angularlyrelated portions 10c and 10a'.

A typical clip 14 is of generally X-shape and includes a center bodyportion 15 having at its opposite ends an upwardly diverging pair ofarms 16 and 17, a downwardly diverging pair of arms 18 and 19, as shownin FIGURES 4 and 5. The ends of the arms 16, 17, 1S and 19 are pro videdwith enlarged ribs or beads 20 and each of the enlarged beads isprovided with an internal groove 21, 22, 23, or 24. Also, forconvenience of assembly, the portion of each bead 20 outwardly of thegroove therein may be provided with a tapered or inclined surface 2-5.The clip members 14 can be formed conveniently as extrusions of aluminumor other material, such as plastic, of indefinite length, theseextrusions being cut into sections of a suitable width, as, for example,an inch and a half, more or less, as may be required for the particulargrille in which they are used.

In assembling a grille, a clip 14, for example, is pressed against thestrip 10 at the horizontal portion 10a so that the arms 18 and 19 aresprung apart and snap over the opposite edges of the strip as they comeinto alignment with the grooves 23 and 24 in the ribs of the clip. Asmany of the clips 14 are assembled along the length of the strip as maybe desired. Then the clips 14a are attached in a similar manner to theportions 10b of the corrugated strip so that the arms 16 and 17 thereonengage the edges of the portions 10b. A strip 11 is then pressed againstthe free arms of the clips 14a, to secure the strip 11 to the strip 10and form a pattern of octagons in side-by-side relation. Other strips 12and 13, etc. are assembled to the strips 10 and 11 in the same way untila grille ofthe desired size is formed.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the clips 14 and 14a are unsymmetricalin shape, and they can be assembled in alternately oppositely facingrows to produce a sawtoothed arrangement of the strips with all of thestrips substantially perpendicular to the plane of the grille as aWhole. On the other hand, if all of the clips are assembled in rowsfacing the same direction, an echelon effect is produced in which all ofthe strips 10, 11, 12, 13 etc. are inclined to the plane of the grille.

Other and different effects may be produced by making the corrugationsin the strips of different shapes. For example, the portions 10a can beof different length than the portions 10b and the inclination andlengths of the portions 10c and 10d likewise can be changed. Extensivemodication of the shape of the clips 14, 14a is also possible. Thus, thearms 16 to 19 can be of equal length or their lengths inclination andrelations to each other can be modified to provide different spacingsand inclinations of the corrugated strips as may be desired.Accordingly, it will be understood that the form of the inventiondisclosed herein, is illustrative and that it should not be consideredas limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A grille comprising a plurality of corr-ugated strips of thin sheetmaterial having portions thereof disposed in offset, substantiallyparallel relation, and clips engaging and connecting at least some ofsaid parallel portions of adjacent strips to hold them in spaced-substantially ixed relation, each of said clips including a first pairof arms having means at their outer endsV extending around and engagingat least part of the opposite edges of a parallel portion of one of saidstrips and another pair of arms having means at their outer endsextending around and engaging at least part of the opposite edges of aparallel portion of another of said strips, at least one arm of eachpair of arms being resilient to enable said arms to spring apart toengage said means at the outer ends of the said arms with said oppositeedges of said strips.

2. A grille comprisinga plurality of corrugated strips of thin sheetmaterial having portions thereof disposed in offset, substantiallyparallel relation, and clips engaging and connecting at least some ofsaid parallel portions of adjacent strips to holdl theml in spacedsubstantially fixed relation, each of said clips having a first pair offlexible arms having means at their outer ends extending around andengaging at least part of the opposite edges of a parallel portion ofone of said strips and another pair of flexible arms having means attheir .outer ends extending around and engaging at least part of t'neopposite edges of a parallel portion of another of said strips.

3. The grille set forth in claim 2 in which said strips are angulartlycorrugated and have parallel portions located in at least two differentplanes.

4. The grille set forth in claim 2 in which said clips are of a'attened, substantiallyX-shape and are of a width slightlygreaterthannthe width of said strips.

5. The grille set forth in claim 2 in which -said strips are angularlycorrugatedsheet metal and said clips are metal extrusions.

6. lThe grille set forth` inV claim 2 in which said clips comprise acenteryplate portion, and said first and second pairs of arms extendoutwardly -fr'om adjacent theopposite ends of said plate portion.

7. The grille set forth in claim 2 in which the iiexible arms ofsaidclips are exed to receive said strips between them and bear resilientlyagainst said strips.

References Cited inv thelfle of this patent UNITED STATESl PATENTS1,729,741 Heltzel Oct. 1, 1929

